[mschild]

Price, mostly, isn't the issue.

Living in Germany, rental apartments simply don't have AC. Even luxury apartments that are 4k+ per month typically dont. Thats changing very slowly but still a long way to go.

A lot of landlords simply don't give a shit as they're not required to install one and since there is a housing shortage, good luck convincing them of anything.

Even if you own your apartment, installing a split AC requires unanimous approval from the other apartment owners before you can install one because making any permanent modifications to the outside of the building (like drilling a hole) needs their permission.

The older generation (generalising here) often has the opinion that the cold air from ACs is unhealthy and causes cold.

Once you get past all of that, is when price can become the issue. The AC units, even top-of-the-line, cost around 1k-1.8k. Good luck finding someone to install it for you. You need an electrician and a licenced installer.

I own my house so I dont need anyone's permission. The cheapest total cost (including the 1.2k for the unit I want) is 6k. Because apparently drilling 2 holes and, running the wire and coolant pipes is 4.8k.

[lwansbrough]

You can buy a portable unit for like 300e and seal the window with a piece of plexiglass with a hole in it. It's a pretty low barrier.

[mschild]

Sort of. We dont have sliding windows. Windows tilt in Germany so it's a weird shape you need to close up. Portable ACs come with a mesh cover that works OK but its not as good as a properly sealed window. They're also significantly less efficient and much louder.

Midea has released the Porta split a few hears ago which was a game changer for many people. I currently have one cooling the bedroom.

[dagenleg]

Why is everyone on social media talking about Midea? I never see any other brand mentioned. Is this a coordinated marketing campaign?

[mschild]

They are the first to make split mobile ACs widely available to the masses. They previously existed but were mainly advertised as camping or boat ACs.

Midea put quite a bit of money into ads, sponsorships, etc but they also simply make a really good product.

I've had a monoblock AC before. Same BTU as the Midea one I have now. It was significantly louder, took way longer to cool the same room, and used more energy.